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The Folk
The Folk forms the general populace of Serora, and it’s the “cover-all” rank for anyone that doesn’t fall within the other ranks. Those among the Folk practice many professions, pursue many hobbies, and live a variety of different lives. Overview The Folk encompasses all aspects of Seroran life not covered by other, more formal ranks. While any citizen of Sedo needs to be flexible to survive, the Folk often bring this to its natural conclusion - a single individual may fill several different roles during the course of their day. A herder might weave baskets while watching their goats, and later in the evening they might practice their skills as a singer with the dream of one day becoming a Creator. Some Folk lead lives of uncertainty, jumping from job to job depending on what is available, while others set down deep roots in a single profession. Folk can be stationary, nomadic or a bit of both - the rank holds as many destinies as the desert has grains of sand. Nomadic Folk tend to live more sustenance oriented lifestyles. They’re often farmers, herders and gatherers whose hobbies show more of their individuality than their professions do. Those Folk who live more settled lives, especially ones in larger cities, more commonly have established professions, such as various artisans and crafters, or labor-intensive jobs like cleaning or building. Stationary farmers, whether they focus on animals or growing edible plants, will usually live on the edges of towns, or as their own small communities further away from urban areas. In smaller settlements it is common for each family to have some animals of their own - such as a few chickens, or perhaps a goat, to provide for the needs of their own family. In large cities like Alhaj (and previously Osulas), the keeping of livestock has been limited to protect the already dry surroundings from overgrazing. Fledglings Fledgling is the term commonly used by Serorans to describe children who have not yet undergone their Ceremony. Fledgling is not a recognized rank as much as it is a life stage - the somewhat carefree youth before a child is expected to grow into a truly useful member of society. That being said, in the Sedo deserts it is not uncommon for young children to already be helping out adults, and essentially practicing a “profession” - especially if said profession is something like the general nomadic lifestyle. Apprenticeships A youth may announce their intention to join a specific profession within the Folk during their Ceremony of the Rising Wind. As such, a youth would indicate their interest in becoming a herder, crafter and so on, rather than simply stating they will become a member of the Folk. Apprenticeships within the Folk vary wildly depending on the exact occupation and the teacher in question. A nomadic child of herder-gatherers has had a lifelong apprenticeship in the lifestyle, and probably has no formal apprenticeship if they stay with their family group. Meanwhile someone wishing to become a glassworker might be looking at an apprenticeship as long as ten years, should they wish to master their craft. Most professions have formal mentorships with a single teacher passing on the skills needed for the youth to become an independent professional. Apprenticeships usually last around two years. Folk Professions Please note that this list is not exhaustive and is only intended as a base for ideas, as well as giving some more information on some of the more common (as well as some lesser-known but quite important) Folk occupations. You can use the page navigation to read up on professions that interest you, or come up with your own! Every adult in Serora is expected to find some way in which they can be useful and productive. Being completely idle is not an option unless one’s family pitches in to feed them. Serorans generally look down on wasteful living and value productivity. Herder Herder’s are almost exclusively nomadic, as the arid landscape of Sedo doesn’t lend itself well to keeping large flocks in one place for extended periods. Herding is often a profession practiced alongside other farming occupations, although a few members of the family unit or band might focus on herding exclusively. Most herders don’t have huge flocks, and you can always tell how hard a year has been from how depleted the herds are at the end of summer. Typical animals kept are goats and sheep - goats are kept primarily for milk and leather, while sheep are kept for wool and leather. Angora goats are kept for the production of the expensive export good mohair. Camels are also kept for milk, wool and leather, as well as being used for pack animals. Meat is never the primary product, but nothing is wasted. Planter Planters are the farmers of Serora, and tend to be semi-nomadic - moving around season by season, but always returning to the same spots. Stationary farmers are rare, but do exist - they usually live on the edges of towns, and do not have farming as their only occupation. The Serora climate makes it possible to farm in two rotations - one harvest is gathered in late winter, another in early autumn. Winter growing season favors riversides and other wet areas, while summer growing season tends to be slightly more inland. Farmers mark the areas they have used with simple shorthand so that no area gets drained of nutrients. Sometimes plants like beans are planted on fields to replenish the earth, and the family returns to the site later to harvest them. Typical Seroran farming plants include winter wheat, corn, beans, sunflowers and in some regions even watermelon. Other plants such as cucumbers, eggplant, various peppers, pumpkin, squash, sweet potato, tomato, agave, peyote, stinging nettle and dandelions are also cultivated. Since Serora has low population, the farming area held by any one planter group is limited mostly by what size of area they can reasonably expect to cultivate and harvest efficiently. Squabbles over farming land are rare, but do occasionally happen. Gatherer Gathering is often a supplementary occupation practiced alongside other professions, and is something commonly taught to most nomadic youths as a way to help the adults. Most gatherers don’t specialize in any specific type of find, but instead take anything useful: edible plants, medicinal plants, teeth, feathers and skins from animal carcasses, dry wood for fires and so on. Serorans are ingenious in their use of resources - which is good, seeing as during the dry season, the survival of a band might be entirely dependent on the skill of their gatherers. Fisher Fishing is not a particularly large profession in Sedo, but is practiced diligently by the people of harbor towns, as well as by some nomadic bands traveling near rivers and lakes. Fish is generally harvested as an alternative food source for carnivorous familiars, but also finds use for equines: fish bones make for good sewing needles, while the skin can be treated and used for accessories and clothing. Miner Sedo is not known for its ore, but there are a few good veins around the continent, especially around the edges of the Sear. Seroran mines are not deep shafts, but instead tend to be surface level mines; large open holes into the earth. This is partially due to the veins in and around the Sear being near the surface; easily reached with only relatively minor intrusion into the rock. Miners tend to be seasonal workers - mining season is the dry season, as the open mines become dangerous during heavy rainfall. Miners are generally large family bands who settle along the edges of mining pits in early autumn and leave in late winter, or spring at the latest to trade in their ore for supplies and food. Miners are commonly farmers or crafters the other half of the year. The most common type of ore found in Sedo is iron - which is generally lower in quality due to impurities than the ore found in places like Sirith. Gold, silver, tin, copper and malachite are also mined in decent quantities. In some locations, ores of asteroid origin can be mined - meteoric iron being especially sought after for its higher quality. Builder Builder is a mostly urban occupation, and includes everything from actually building structures for housing and other uses, to repairing existing buildings and infrastructure, such as bridges or roads. Most Serorans are capable of completing basic structures (ie small basic homes) on their own - builders are called upon for larger projects or more challenging building conditions. Builders might have another profession, but those who work exclusively in construction tend to be migrant, moving between towns and cities as work presents itself. They are often commissioned by the government to work together on large projects. Crafter - Glass Glasswork is one of the most cherished crafting professions in Serora, and one of their main exports to other countries. Glassworkers are often urban, living in larger settlements and often working in big workshops led by a single experienced master. Glassworkers undergo long apprenticeships to master their craft, and it’s not unusual for a young crafter to travel from workshop to workshop, learning from different masters until they find the exact style they like best. Glasscrafters produce both practical goods - glass panels for windows, tableware, jars for storage and so on - and wonderful pieces of art. Glass produced for daily use tends to be of a natural, subtle tint, while art pieces are colorful and vibrant. When exported, the work of a Seroran master glass smith may sell for thousands of shards, and they are highly sought after in Aodh and Breim. Crafter - Pottery Pottery is the other traditional form of Seroran artistry, and another large exported product type. Potteryworkers, unlike Glasscrafters, often favor slightly smaller settlements, and work either alone, or in workshops of a single master and a few helpers. Differences in style and decoration are common, and there are several distinct styles across Sedo - some being more valued than others. It is typical for an apprentice to seek to master a single style, as there is a great sense of tradition and legacy attached to the work. Both practical goods and artwork are produced. While pottery doesn’t have quite the prestige that glass does, it is nonetheless valuable, and popular works by recognized masters can sell for a good amount in other countries. Crafter - Metalwork Metalwork is not a common craft in Sedo, but it is still necessary - tools and weapons of stone are hardly satisfactory, after all, and importing everything would be costly. As such, there are, somewhat by necessity, a number of small forges scattered around Sedo, often located on the very edges of settlements, or slightly outside them. Seroran metalworkers often have to treat their own ore, or negotiate with the Council to have metals imported to them. Most of them focus on practical, made-for-purpose items with little artistry, but a few are renowned, skilled artisans. Seroran metalwork always does have a practical use, however, as metalworks are not imported, so even the most decorated pieces must still be able to serve an actual use. Metalcrafters often undergo an apprenticeship of 2-5 years under a single master, as teachers are scarce. Those who seek to take their craft further may seek to use personal connections to study in another country, although political situation might make such endeavors difficult. Windboard Crafter Windboard crafting is a coveted profession, and one with a long apprenticeship. Creating the perfect board is hard work, and apprentices practice for many years - first observing, then completing simple steps in the progress, then repairing damaged boards, and finally making their own. The typical apprenticeship lasts five years, but may be even longer. Many of the best Crafters are older equines who used to be Windracers in their youth. Windboards are almost always made to order for a specific, near-graduation Windracer. Sometimes towns will commission boards as well, but Crafters do not usually get the opportunity to simply create boards for the sheer pleasure of it, as the materials are expensive, and the boards are not exported. All Windboard Crafters take their boards to a few specialists to be imbued. Crafter - Other Serora is filled with many other crafting professions, such as tailors, leatherworkers, jewelry crafters, masons, tanners, woodworkers and so on and so forth. Most professions are practiced alongside another outside peak seasons - its typical for Seroran crafters to go out as planters for one season, and return to a city to craft for the other. Leatherworkers and tanners, for example, tend to find the most work during autumn after the herders cull their herds. Those who practice their chosen crafting profession full time tend to live in large settlements. Scribe A rare profession, yet one of vital importance. Scribes can work in many fields within the Seroran community, and are some of the few highly literate members of society. Typical workplaces are harbors and warehouses (as bookkeepers for the Traders), with the government (recording reports, writing down decisions, judgements and laws, writing official letters and correspondence etc), in the great libraries copying non-religious texts and in the military for recordkeeping purposes. Exclusively urban, many scribes are ex-Mullah or apprentices. All scribes receive commission from the government, and are considered government workers even if they don’t directly deal with Council or government business. Many scribes have personal rivalries with the Mullah, who do many of the same tasks as they do, but with a religious spin. The fact that so many of them were once members of that profession does not help matters. Recyclist Serorans never waste. Recyclists are the equines who collect, salvage and scavenge for abandoned, broken or lost items, and either fix them up or transform them into something else that may be put to good use. They trade their creations and finds to other Serorans for food and other supplies, although some recyclists in major cities receive government ‘funding’, allowing them to give away their goods for those in need for no charge at all. The Recyclists will also fix broken things brought to them, and accept donations of items from those who feel they don’t need something anymore. Many recyclists are extremely skilled and versatile crafters with a knack for improvisation, and their creations form some of the (occasionally strange) core of Seroran fashion and interior design. Many “Recyclist Shops” have a few professionals and a good number of apprentices working in them, and in the big cities like Alhaj, these may blossom into proper workshops. Innkeep Keeping an inn is a bit of a strange profession for Sedo - people do not use shards, so feeding and giving a roof to a stranger can hardly be called ‘profitable’. Yet inns do exist, often with government backing, and are places alongside major roadways across Sedo, as well as in some larger settlements. Those chosen to keep inns are generally trusted equines of good repute, and act not only as friendly faces in the harsh environment, but also as sources of news and rumors from the region. As a result of seeing so many new faces and dealing with outsiders on a regular basis, most innkeepers are fluent in the use of crystal shards. Staying in an inn is free for a Seroran citizen, but general courtesy dictates that visitors “pay” for their visit with something - whether it be some finds from their gathering, or perhaps their help cleaning up a few rooms after their stay. Vagabonds and foreigners should expect to pay a more formal price, often either in foodstuffs, or in crystal shards, which the innkeep will use to pay for goods from other travelers. Chef Chefs are often employed either by the aforementioned innkeepers, or by the government directly. Typical places for a chef to work are soup kitchens and military barracks, although some might be commissioned to do other things, such as work in foreign ambassador housing. Seroran chefs are the masters of making very little go a long way when it comes to feeding people, and what they perhaps lack in artistic merit and pomp, they make up twofold in how tasty and filling their creations are. Stylist Stylists - so beloved in Sedo that many say they should be called Creators. Alas, such a title has never been granted to one of them, at least not yet. Hairdos, makeup, tattoos, body paints - a stylist may work on any or all of these. Serorans love showing their personality and likes through their style, and stylists help them achieve that with minimal waste of resources. Stylists generally live in big cities, and some work closely with creators such as dancers to enhance their art with their own. Stylists often do another, more traditional job on the side, but the most popular ones are able to live off of the donation of their fans and customers. Rank Levels * At 25 AP | As one of the Folk, you are resilient and determined in your daily work for the herd. If it pertains to your duties, you may receive a Tier 1 Talent '''early (first talent only). * '''At 50 AP | It looks like you’ve received a gift! Claim either Piercings, Hair Dye or a Cloak, depending on your taste, as well as Tools. * At 75 AP | Life in Serora is challenging. Add 15 SP to either your Speed '''or '''Vitality to survive it. * At 100 AP | A familiar would be useful for your day-to-day life, either as a pack animal, message runner, or simple companion. Receive a Level 1 Seroran familiar for free. Category:Serora Category:Ranks